The present invention relates to an automatic pickle injecting apparatus for supplying meat with a pickle so as to increase its flavor and preserve its freshness. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic pickle injecting apparatus for supplying meat with a pickle, wherein the meat is being conveyed along its feeding path to a place where it is stuffed in casings into stuffed meat, such as sausages and bacon. The injection of pickle is intended to increase the flavor of meat and preserve its freshness, wherein the pickle contains spices, flavorings and antiseptics.
It is known in the art to employ an automatic pickle injecting apparatus in the process of stuffed meat. The known apparatus has a vertically movable tank in which a pickle is stored, the tank being located above a conveyor belt on which the meat is placed. The tank is provided with injector needles suspended therefrom toward the meat. As the tank is lowered, the top ends of the needles come close to the meat, wherein some of them are penetrated into the meat while the others are short of it because of uneven surface of the meat. Nevertheless, the pickle is spurted from all the needles. Consequently, in the needles failing to reach the meat, the pickle spills outside the meat, thereby resulting in the waste of the pickle. To save the waste, the spilled pickle must be collected and recirculated for re-use. Another disadvantage is that, in the needles penetrating into the meat, the pickle to be injected tends to become less than the required amount because of reduction in the internal pressure, which is due to the overflow through the needles failing to reach the meat. The unequal amount of pickle injected leads to poor quality and defective stuffed meat.
Furthermore, when the spilled pickle is pumped up for recirculating, the pickle is liable to rise in temperature and dilution, thereby degrading in its quality.
The collection of pickle for re-use is also required for other than the spilled one. The known apparatus has valves located in the connection of the tank and each needle, so that some portion of the pickle unavoidably remains between the valve and each outlet. The remaining pickle also spills over the meat or the empty conveyor belt after the valves have been closed. In addition, after the remaining pickle is discharged in this way, air is likely to enter the needles, and be introduced into the meat together with an injecting pickle in the subsequent process. The meat is dangerously contaminated with germs contained in the air.